Jazz Blues
by Lycorise
Summary: There is no lack of adventure in the Commonwealth, and Alexandra is lucky enough to experience it with Piper. (Collection of short pieces.)
1. Nightmare

The sharp crack of a gunshot jolted Alex awake. Her eyes snapped open, staring up at the ceiling through the darkness. She lay in bed unmoving, every muscle in her body tense as she tried to determine the source of the sound. Nothing. All was quiet in her house, except for soft, intelligible mumbling as Piper turned away from Alex, pulling the covers tighter around her shoulders. She realised, to her chagrin, that she must have jostled Piper during her sudden awakening. Taking care not to disturb the woman any further, Alex sat up, trying to remember why she had awoken.

She covered her face with her hands, concentrating on the gunshot she had heard. It was…a dream. Little pieces started trickling back, falling into place as she collected herself. It was Vault 111, where her dream had taken place. No, not dream. It was a memory. A nightmare. One that she had visited a few times before.

 _She is back in the cryostasis pod again, trapped, with nothing to look at but her husband frozen in his own pod, Shaun still safe in his arms. Then Kellogg enters her field of vision, standing at ready as another figure thaws Nate out and tries to take Shaun from him. She beats her fists futilely on the glass window of her pod, yelling at Nate to let go, at Kellogg to stop. She watches as Kellogg raises his pistol slowly at Nate. The killer turns his head back, gives her a cold smile, and shoots Nate without looking. Then Alex screams, hands throwing themselves at the glass until blood trails down from the knuckles, as she watches Shaun get carried away again._

It usually ended here. The last images she would remember after waking up, was Nate's body lying limp in his pod, while Kellogg followed his companion out. But this time, he did not leave. Kellog remained, never taking his eyes off Alex as he strode over to her. He stopped when they were face-to-face, meeting Alex's hateful glare through the glass.

 _"Did you think I would leave you alone?"_ His voice sounded loud and clear in her ears, as though he was in the pod with her. _"Did you think I would allow you to kill me and walk away scot-free? No."_

He stepped away from her then, and returned to Nate's pod. Only this time, Nate was not in it. Piper stood in his place, struggling against the restraints that strapped her to the icy prison.

 _"I want you to feel pain."_ Kellogg raised his pistol again and fired. Piper's pained yell rang out through the vault as a bullet burrowed into her thigh.

 _"I want you to feel weak."_ Another shot. Red blossomed over the fabric covering Piper's stomach.

 _"I want you to feel despair."_ A new patch of blood on her chest.

Kellogg stepped forward, placing the barrel of his gun under Piper's chin, lifting it so Alex could see her face in full. Piper's eyes were glazed over from pain. Her lips were parted, short and shallow breaths condensing into mist. Colour was starting to drain from her skin. Alex shouted Piper's name through her tightened throat, but nothing came out.

 _"I want you to_ die _."_ He pulled the trigger.

Alex lifted her head, the gunshot fading from her mind for the second time. Her gaze fell onto Piper's sleeping form, where it stayed for a few minutes to make sure Piper was still breathing. _It's just a dream,_ she told herself, watching Piper's chest rise and fall. But logic succumbed to paranoia, and Alex wanted to make sure. She reached forward, placing her fingers on Piper's neck to feel her pulse. Satisfied with the regular beat, Alex's fingers trailed up to under her chin, where a wound – _thankfully_ – did not exist. Alex let out a breath she did not know she was holding. She moved her hand, resting it on Piper's shoulder as she gazed down at the woman's profile. The image of Piper's dying expression was still imprinted in her mind. But it was fading, faster now as reality took a stronger foothold.

Running her fingers through Piper's hair, Alex leaned down, pressing her lips on Piper's temple.

"I love you," she whispered, waiting a few seconds even though she knew there would be no answer.

Then she lay back down, pressing herself close to Piper's back and wrapping an arm around her midriff. Piper's warmth brought the heat back to her cold skin. It took a long time, but she was eventually lulled to sleep by the steady rhythm of Piper's breathing.


	2. Downtime

"Here." Alex circled various points on the weathered map. "Think you could include these settlements in your route?"

Doc Weathers hummed thoughtfully, his finger tracing imaginary lines on the paper. Alex watched as he plotted out possible routes before shaking his head at some unvoiced problem, and began to trace again. She crossed her arms, waiting patiently for him to finish, all the while keeping her ears tuned to each sound coming from the neighbouring room. They had been stuck at The Slog for two days due to Piper's injuries from a fight with Super Mutants. The woman was so battered that Alex had been terrified out of her mind, scrambling back to this settlement with Piper on her back and Dogmeat loping bravely by her side.

Alex leaned to the right, peeking through the door to see the dog curled up beside Piper's bed. Bandages were still wrapped around his body. He had suffered a wide gash on his side and a bullet in his front leg.

The sight of the injured trio entering the compound had sent its settlers into a helpful frenzy – guiding them to a clean spot and assisting Doc Weathers in treating all three patients at once. Alex, who had the least scrapes, was done first. She tried to help, but the doctor declared her unfit for further exertion and sent her to a corner to rest. Not that she would have been of any help. Each time she laid eyes on Piper – skin burnt and cracked, bullet wounds pumping blood – another gaping hole was gouged into her chest. Her tired body lost its will to move. Alex was never religious, but she found herself praying to whatever higher power there was to bring Piper through. Dogmeat, after freeing himself from the settlers, came to rest his head in her lap. He kept his eyes closed, as though to join Alex in her first ever prayer.

Well, maybe _"prayer"_ was not the word. _"Bargain"_ was more like it, and Alex made sure to keep her end of the deal. She already looked forward to Piper asking why she was turning vegetarian for the next six months.

"Aha! I got it," Weathers exclaimed, grabbing Alex's pencil and drawing long, circuitous lines. "That should do it! What do you think?"

Alex scanned the map, nodding in approval. She tapped at the southwestern portion of his route. "You should have some extra security while you pass through here. It's a little close to Deathclaw territory. Travelling with some of my Minutemen would give you a better peace of mind."

"Yes, yes, that would be perfect," the doctor agreed. He flashed a smile at her. "You're very good for business, you know?"

"I figured," Alex said, giving her own wry smile.

"What a clever person you are," Weathers said as he turned his attention back to the map. "Now, to copy this onto my own map. I'll return yours when I'm done."

"Sure," Alex said, leaving the doctor to his own devices and striding over to where Piper and Dogmeat lay.

To her surprise, Piper's eyes were already open and tracking her the moment she stepped in. Alex felt her heart lighten, quickly making her way to the bed.

"Hey Blue," came the weak greeting. Piper's voice cracked from the dryness in her throat.

"Piper," Alex replied, grasping the woman's hand as it reached up painstakingly. "You're finally awake."

" _'Finally'_? How long was I out?" A cough at the end of her sentence.

"Two days. Hold on, I'll get you some water."

Alex grabbed the canteen from her pack, and helped Piper into an elevated position. She put the canteen near the reporter's lips, but pulled it away before Piper could latch onto it.

"Slowly," Alex instructed, earning an annoyed glare. "We don't want you to choke yourself to death."

Piper gave an impatient groan, but was soon satisfied as Alex trickled water past her lips. It was a slow process, with Piper coughing more often as her throat was rehydrated. Eventually she pushed the canteen away, indicating she had enough.

"God, it feels like a pack of brahmin ran over me," Piper said as she was laid back down.

"Are you hurting?"

"All over. It was brahmin, wasn't it? Or radstag."

"It was Super Mutants, actually," Alex clarified, taking the syringe that Doc Weathers left on the end table. "Some Med-X for your ouchies, madam?"

"I want ten of those right now."

The patient gave a sigh of relief as one was administered, eyes fluttering shut. She must be hurting quite a bit, Alex thought. Piper usually did not like using chems herself.

"So. Super Mutants, huh?" Piper asked, voice sounding steadier.

"A Suicider, actually. One was running towards you, but you managed to shoot it before it came too close. Unfortunately, you were still in the blast radius. You don't recall?"

"Now I do. Can't believe I'm still alive after that." Piper cracked her eyes open, peering at Alex in amusement.

"That's not all. I thought you were dead." It was true. Her heart had dropped as she watched Piper's body get blown backwards. She remembered Dogmeat's howl as her vision turned red. She had dropped her sniper rifle, reaching back for her assault rifle when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks.

"But you got back up," Alex continued, watching Piper's brows rise. It appeared she did not remember. "Yes. You stood, yelled _'is that all you can do, you fuckers?'_ and staggered towards the rest of the mutants."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Then what?"

"Then the mutants answered your challenge, that's what."

There had been a resounding roar from the remaining mutants after Piper shouted at them. Whether they were impressed or just angry that the woman refused to remain down, Alex did not know. What she did know, however, was the flurry of mixed emotions that rushed through her as a barrage of laser and lead rained down on Piper's position. Needless to say, Piper fell after that and did not get back up. A few minutes later, the mutants followed suit.

Alex shook her head, hand reaching out the cup Piper's cheek gently. The reporter's eyes widened when she became aware of the patch of gauze on her face, where Alex's fingers rested. Her own hand reached up, worrying at a corner of the gauze.

"Is there…scarring?"

Alex nodded. "Burns. But don't worry," she quickly added before Piper's mood had time to fall. "Doc Weathers has some kind of anti-scarring serum. Your skin will be good as new – after it's done peeling, that is."

Piper made a face. "Can't wait."

"Yeah. It'd better work, too. Cost me a fortune."

"How much?"

"Enough to have you working for me for life," Alex deadpanned. "But since you'll be sticking with me regardless, it won't be much of a problem." She tilted her head, adding with a smirk, "And if you pull night shift, I'd wager you'll clear the debt before your hair grows white."

She caved in and laughed when Piper slapped her hand away in mock outrage.

" _'Minutemen General Turned Slave Driver'_. That's the title of the article that'll expose you for who you are," Piper threatened with a smile on her lips.

"Not if I silence you first."

"Oh?" Piper quirked a brow. "And how are you planning to do that?"

Alex leaned down slowly, eyes locked with Piper's, feeling their breaths mix in close proximity.

"Take a guess."


	3. Locks and Picks

_Yes…_

Alex shifted her fingers to get a better angle, gently prodding.

 _Yes!_

A sweet spot. The pitched sound she elicited was music to her ears. A half-smile hung on her lips as she reached deeper in, searching further. Her entire body was tense, her mind was focused solely on the task in front of her. She was almost there. She could practically taste the sweet victory, lying just tantalisingly out of reach. Taking a gamble, Alex flicked her wrist – only to hear another metallic snap.

"Mother of _fuck!_ "

She flung her half of the bobby pin away in frustration. Dogmeat gave a surprised yelp when the broken pin hit his body, jumping up from where he rested. Alex would have given an immediate apology, but her mind was occupied with thoughts of murdering an inanimate object. Gritting her teeth, she started to fish out the second half of the pin.

"Oh, for the love of– Seriously, Blue? You're still at it?" Piper said, walking out of the kitchen to find her still sitting at the safe.

"I'm nothing if not persistent," Alex growled, finally freeing the pin and tossing it aside. Then she took yet another bobby pin from its half-empty container. Which sat next to its fully empty counterpart.

"You're going to use up all your pins at this rate." Piper knelt down next to her. She held several boxes and tins of food in her arms. "Come on, it's not worth it."

"Piper, I'll be damned before leaving this safe for raiders to pillage, alright? Look at this place!"

She waved her pin at the apartment they were in. It was at the topmost floor, which had gone untouched due to the pack of feral ghouls milling around the bottom levels. They would have given this building a pass too, if Dogmeat had not started barking at a lone ghoul that noticed them. Naturally, the noise attracted the attention of the entire pack, and they descended upon the trio in a mindless stampede. The trouble had been worth it, though. None of them were harmed and they found a safe place to spend the night in. They were on a routine search for supplies around the apartment, before Alex got distracted by this damned safe.

"There must be something good in this safe for them to have locked it up this tight."

"Fine," Piper sighed, shrugging. She stood, moving over to her pack to stash some of the food.

Alex inserted her bobby pin into the safe's lock, getting back to work again. She heard Piper open a can, followed by Dogmeat's energetic bark as he padded up to her.

"You hungry, boy?"

An affirmative bark.

She pressed her face close to the safe, listening to the telltale clicks as she ran her pin over the tumblers. Then she started the delicate process of pressing each one into position.

"How long have you been at this, anyway?" Piper asked, coming to sit by Alex's side. She held an open box of Sugar Bombs, munching on the treats like she was watching a movie.

"I don't know…" Alex replied off-handedly, concentrating on the lock's sounds as she pressed onto yet another tumbler. It stayed, raising her hopes. Maybe this time she could do it.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Piper continued. Her voice made it a little more difficult to hear the lock, but Alex found that she did not mind. God knows she needed the distraction. She might have slammed her head against the safe otherwise. "Lock picking doesn't sound like something a lawyer has to do…right? I mean, from what you told me."

"Ah. Well–" Alex looked for a nice way to phrase her answer. "Lawyers don't have to pick locks, no. But it's a skill that's…useful to have. At times."

Times when they needed information, but it was kept locked away in a rival's drawer. When they needed evidence, but its owner refused to give it up. When they commited sabotage. Her mentor had been the one to teach her, after they had a few drinks and knew they could trust each other. _"Partners-in-crime,"_ they had called themselves, savouring the irony. They never did get caught. Her mentor had been rather upset when Alex quit the firm, breaking up the partnership.

She kept this piece of information to herself, though. It was not something she wanted Piper to know, not just yet. Their relationship had barely gotten off the runway, and she did not want to jeopardise what they had going. It was already an important part of her life, part of what kept her going.

Alex paused in her work. She turned to look at Piper, whose head was tilted with curiosity.

"Like when?"

"Like during a panty raid." She grinned when Piper choked on her snack.

" _What?_ "

"Kidding, just kidding," Alex said, returning her attention to the safe.

"God, Blue."

Another tumbler fell into place. Just one left. Whatever reply she had for Piper left her mind as she concentrated. A slight twitch of her fingers determined the desired position. Carefully, she added pressure on the remaining tumbler, pressing and releasing, until…

 _Click._

" _Yes!_ "

Giving a loud exclamation, Alex yanked the pin out, pumping her fist in victory. A giddy mix of exhilaration and anticipation swirled within her as she reached for the safe's handle. There had better be a pile of gold bars inside or the equivalent, to have warranted such a strong lock. Alex turned the handle, feeling Piper lean close to look over her shoulder as well. She took a breath, and swung it open to find–

Jangles.

Jangles the Moon _fucking_ Monkey.

A loud snort of laughter assaulted her left ear as Piper withdrew, with one hand clamped over her mouth. Alex sat stock still, staring the stupid toy stuffed painfully into the safe. The monkey's eternally wide eyes returned her stare, giving its upturned grin as though mocking her. Reaching out with both hands, Alex slowly pulled the toy out of its prison. It stayed in its bent position, unable to return to its upright glory after spending god knows how long in the safe.

"Think I'm going to lose my mind," Alex muttered, still staring at the monkey in disbelief. Who in the _hell_ would keep this thrice-damned toy in such a strong safe?

"Aw, Blue," Piper said, recovering from her fit of giggles. She wrapped an arm around Alex in a comforting hug. "At least you got the lock open."

When it seemed like Alex would not let go, Piper lifted Jangles from her grasp. Alex lifted her gaze back towards the inside of the empty safe. She reached in with one hand, patting all over the metal box for some kind of hidden switch. Anything that would open a secret compartment filled with riches.

"Damn, Jangles is a little torn," she heard Piper say.

Alex drew her hand back, letting the disappointment wash over her. She looked down at the two bobby pin boxes lying on the floor in a sea of broken pins. She picked the empty box up, turning it over in her fingers, wishing she had not wasted so many pins. Now she had to spend caps to buy more…

"Whoa, whoa! Blue!" Piper's voice sounded urgent, causing Alex to look back. She was holding Jangles in her hands, staring at its back with wide eyes.

"What?"

A grin made its way onto Piper's face. She turned Jangles downwards, showing Alex the large rip on the back of its astronaut suit. All she could see was stuffing flowing out of the tear.

Noticing Alex's confused frown, Piper dug into the tear with her thumbs and pulled it wider. She angled the toy towards Alex a little more, and that was when Alex's brows shot up.

"Whoa," she mimicked Piper, staring down at the wads of pre-war cash stuffed neatly into Jangles' body. The rush of exhilaration returned in full force.

"Yeah, Blue," Piper said, placing the toy in Alex's hands. "Seems you were right after all. You could get _two_ of that rifle you wanted from Cricket with that haul!"

Alex nodded, her gaze transfixed by Piper's smile. It made her look so much younger, her eyes brighter and clearer. Free of the usual cares that sat on her shoulders. It was then that Alex decided. She would not get that rifle.

She would get Piper a new printing press.


	4. Gross Encounter

_Dressed in the bones of his victims, a Goblin Warchief surges forward with crazed glee._

 _Round 4_

 _Zaxtar hits the Goblin Warchief for 6 damage._

 _The Goblin Warchief hits Grognak for 40 damage._

 _Grognak has fallen._

"Oh, _what?!_ "

Piper's head surged upwards in disbelief, before falling back onto the couch's armrest. She glanced down at Grognak's HP count, and found that it was indeed at 0.

"What the hell?" She tapped at the Pip-Boy, annoyed. "How did it inflict so much damage? Unbelievable…"

One round later, the offending Goblin was vanquished by Grognak's comrades.

"That's what you _get_! You cheating son of a–"

Her insult was cut off by the sound of the door opening. Piper turned her head to find Curie walking in, with a med kit in hand. Curie gazed down at Piper curiously, head tilted, having heard the second half of her sentence. Then a smile graced her lips – something that she had been practising a lot lately.

"I see you are enjoying your video game, Piper," Curie said, closing the door behind her.

"That's up for debate," Piper muttered. She switched the game off, setting the Pip-Boy on the end table.

"Debate?"

"Never mind."

With a groan, Piper finally sat up, stretching her arms and back. She watched as Curie set the med kit on the coffee table and started arranging its contents.

"Went on a supply run, huh?" Piper leaned in.

Half the medical stash was stimpaks, and the other half was a few assorted chems. Med-X, Buffout and – Piper wrinkled her nose – Psycho. For Curie to be stocking up on these, she assumed Alex must have used them while the two traveled together. She had only ever witnessed Alex hopped up on Psycho once, but that one time was enough. Bloodlust was not a look Alex wore well – in her opinion anyway. Strong, who had been with them at the time, expressed approval at her lover's unbridled rage. It took a while for the Psycho to wear off, and a little longer to clean off the blood that covered Alex at the end of her rampage.

"What are those?" She pointed at a few vials containing clear, coloured liquids.

"Oh, these are reagents I procured from Monsieur Solomon!" Curie's face lit up. "They are for experiments that I would like to perform soon." She ran her fingers over the vials appreciatively. "These are very difficult to find. I was surprised to learn that Monsieur Solomon possessed them."

"Well, did you check out the science lab? They have all kinds of–"

A sudden piercing shriek startled both of them. Piper leapt up from the couch.

"That is Alex's voi–"

 _"No! No, NO!"_ Another shriek.

Heavy, rapid footfalls traced the woman's path as she ran from her bed on the upper floor and onto the stairs. Alex had barely cleared half the steps before she bounded off to the side, straight in Piper's direction. Piper side-stepped at the last second, and Alex landed with both feet on the couch.

"What's wro–"

Alex grabbed Piper's t-shirt sleeve, shaking her roughly. She wore an expression of absolute panic. Her legs were pumping as though on a stationary jog. Her sleep-tousled hair lent an image of a crazed woman.

"Get it! Get it! _Get it!_ "

Piper grabbed onto Alex's hand before the woman tore her sleeve off. Alex was jabbing one finger repeatedly up at the bedroom, and Piper finally got an inkling of what was happening.

"What is _'it'_?" Curie asked innocently, never having experienced Alex's current state before. But her question needed no reply, for the answer came flying down the stairs.

" _Fuck fuck!_ Need a gun!" Alex near-somersaulted off the couch, sprinting for her weapons locker in the Home Plate's warehouse section.

" _Blue!_ " Piper called out to her in exasperation, picking up a nearby folder.

The hand-sized radroach flew towards her, only to be swatted away forcefully. It dropped to the floor, dazed by the folder's impact. There was now silence in the house – Alex had stopped yelling – that was broken by the sound of the locker door opening.

"Blue, come on! You don't need a gun for this!" Piper said.

Curie covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Sighing, Piper strode over to the doorway, giving the radroach another smack as it tried to fly again. She had just retrieved her boot when Alex rounded the corner with her pistol. The woman cocked her gun with a sharp snap and took aim.

"Jesus, put that gun down! Look–"

Piper brought the boot down hard. The radroach's head stood no chance against the impact, and its life ended with a wet _splat_.

"Oh, gross!" came the whine. "Now it's all over my floor!"

"We can clean it off," Piper replied matter-of-factly, tossing her boot back to the floor.

"I will do it." Curie stepped forward, broom and dustpan already in hand.

"Wow. That was fast."

"Ugh. Just…get it out of here," Alex finally said, walking in a wide arc around Curie and the dead roach. Her eyes never left the insect until it was brought out of the house by Curie. Her shoulders sagged in relief. Then she caught sight of Piper, who was staring at her.

"What?"

"You're worse than a child."

"Roaches are _disgusting_ , alright?" Alex crossed her arms, sinking down onto the couch. "This one was flying right in front of my face. Do you know what it's like waking up with a radroach in your face?"

"Yeah. I sleep next to you, remember?"

"Fuck off."

"Oh Blue," Piper sighed, leaning down to plant a kiss on top of Alex's head. "You're just cranky because you're sleepy. Why don't you go back and have a lie down?"

Alex seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"I'll go with you."

"…Fine," Alex muttered finally, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. She set her pistol on the coffee table and stood.

Alex had barely gone three steps up when another fluttering of wings came through the bedroom window.

" _Fuck!_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** My headcanon for why the Home Plate has no windows at all. Alex tore them down.


End file.
